Dinner- 622 North (Italy)

A large group of friends and myself ventured over to 622 North Main Street for dinner before a formal dance last weekend. Per the suggestion of the waiter we settled on a 2011 Angeline Chardonnay from California paired with a creamy pasta dish. Here are some quick facts about the wine :

Variety: Chardonnay

Region: Central Coast, California

Price: $20

Winepiper.com's review: 

"This wine begins with fresh aromas of  green apple and peach, with a touch of vanilla. A pure and vibrant Chardonnay, with crisp flavors of lush peach and apple, balanced by subtle hints of creamy oak from aging 18 months in French Oak barrels"

My thoughts: 

Definitely overpaid on this one. Listed online for $12.99 but I bought a bottle in a restaurant for just around $20. I guess I should expect that when buying wine in more upscale restaurant. From my limited wine knowledge, it did not strike me as a $20 bottle but it was great nonetheless. I paired this with a creamy pasta and chicken dish with walnuts and figs. The wine paired perfectly with the dish. The creamy sauce cut through the wine perfectly and the fruity tastes really came to the surface. The dish itself was excellent and really well done. The figs and walnuts brought an interesting texture dimension to the normal pasta and chicken cream sauce. Even though it was technically supposed to be an Italian wine with Italian food, I think this Californian wine did the job just fine. Now back to the wine.

 I also picked up on the fruity touches in the beginning. However I also picked up some buttery undertones as well in addition to the rich oak flavors from the barrel. I could definitely tell that it wasn't a "naked" chardonnay aged in stainless steel. The porous nature of the oak added some body to the wine that made it a perfect match with the cream sauce. Overall, pretty good wine with some great food!